09/21/2010

Five of Russia's largest oil companies, including LUKoil and TNK-BP, will compete for the rights to develop the country's largest undistributed fields, after the Federal Subsoil Resources Use Agency stopped collecting bids Monday.

Backers of President Dmitry Medvedev’s re-election in 2012 are behind a campaign to unseat Yury Luzhkov because his loyalty is not guaranteed, said Yelena Baturina, the Moscow mayor’s billionaire wife.

The Mariinsky Theater looked to the future as it celebrated its 150th birthday with a gala night that saw segments from the ballets “Swan Lake” and “The Sleeping Beauty,” featuring ballerinas Ulyana Lopatkina and Diana Vishnyova, and talk of the new stage that is set to open in 2012.

It is often said that Russia lacks a “civil society.” But it partly makes up for this by having a rather interesting public sphere in which serious topics get debated. September has offered the Valdai Discussion Club and the Global Policy Forum.

There has been a lot of talk lately about forming a partnership between business and government. The idea is that the business community should become a full-fledged partner with the authorities in implementing President Dmitry Medvedev’s plans for modernization.

Issue 4482

Rusbal staff examining an inflatable Su-27, a life-sized reproduction of the fighter jet that weighs 250 kilograms and could serve as a decoy target.